System for predirecting torpedoes



March 22, 1932.

v TH W A. D. TRENOR 1,850,336

SYSTEM FOR PREDIREGTING TORPEDOES Original Filed July 5, 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 i I i wmvsss INVENTOR I 1 I I ms manner I mm a 53.5%

March 22, 1 932. A. D. TRENOR' 1,850,336

SYSTEM FOR PREDIRECTING TORPEDOES Original Filed July 5, 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS HIS ATTORNEY -March 22, 1932. TRENQR 1,850,336

SYSTEM FOR PHEDLRECTING TORPEDOES Original Filed July 5, 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .w/mEss llVl/EIVTOR 9 ,7

HIS A TTOR/JEY Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT D. TRENOIR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR., OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS SYSTEM FOR PREDIRECTING TORPEDOES Application filed July 5, 1918, Serial No. 243,502. Renewed May 24, 1923.

Some of the objects of the present inven tion are to provide automatic means for recting a torpedo upon a course to strike a moving target; to provide means acting 1n re-' sponse to the movement of a telescope or other aiming device to predirect a torpedo towards} the course of a moving target in such a manner as to strike the target; to provide means A for predirecting a torpedo including autoimatically the speed and direction of the target and the normal speed of the torpedo, said means operating in response to the movement of the sighting device; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 1s a diagram explanatory of the operation of the system of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of one form of apparatus embodying the present invention; Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of another form of the invention; Fig. 5 represents a detail of the follower construction; and Fig.

. 6 represents a section of the same.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1, a torpedo boat 10 or like craft for launching torpedoes is indicated, and moving with respect thereto is a target 11, such as an enemy vessel or the like, which is traveling at a rate of M knots on a course A at an angle B with the longitudinal axis 0 of the boat 10. A torpedo 12 is adapted tobe discharged from the boat 10 and travel with a speed of T knots so that in order to strike the moving target 11 it must travel along the line D making an angle E with the longitudinal axis C of the torpedo boat 10. The initial line of sight F from the torpedo boat 10 to the target 11 makes an angle G with the longitudinal axis 0 of the boat 10 and conse quently the angle which the torpedo 12 must take with respect to the line of sight F is the angle H. Hence, if the angle H can be determined the angle E becomes a known quantity and the torpedo 12 may be predirected and fired to strike the moving target. In

solving for the angle H it will be apparent that the angle K is equal to the angle G minus i the angle B.

Then

sin H .Z\ 4 sin (G-B) T and sin E 8111 (G-B) This equation is solved by the following deaxis of the boat 10 consists of a sighting unit such as a telescope mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a vertical axis or shaft 21 having bearing on a suitable fixed part of the torpedo boat 10. The telescope 2O operates in conjunction with a dial 22 fixed to the body of the torpedo boat 10 and having its zero line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the boat 10 while angular variations of the telescope are indicated by a pointer 23 fixed to the shaft 21 to move therewith and over the surface of the dial 22 in close proximity to the dial indicia.

For the purpose of transmitting move ment of the telescope 20 to certain parts to be controlled thereby, the shaft 21 has a gear 24 keyed thereon and in mesh with a pinion 25 which drives an electric transmitter 26 for controlling two electric repeaters 27 and 28 in a four wire cable circuit 30 including a return wire 31, a battery 32 and a control switch 33. The repeater 27 operates in conjunction with the angle determining mechanism and the repeater 28 operates with the predirecting mechanism as will hereinafter be explained.

In order to automatically determine the angle H a mechanism is employed consisting of a gear 34 loosely mounted on a verti cal spindle 35 and in mesh with a pinion 36 driven by the transmitter 27, the gears 34 and 36 being so proportioned that the gear 34 is rotated in synchronism with the motion of the telescope 20. The gear 34 has a dial 37 fixed thereto with which a movable pointer 38 is adapted to register and on the opposite face of the gear 34 there is a second dial 40 arranged to move with the gear 34 relative to a pointer 41 fixed to a part of the boat 10. The pointer 38 is fixed to rotate with the spindle 35 and indicates angular movement of the spindle 35 relative to the gear 34 when the latter is loose upon and disconnected from the spindle 35. The gear 34 is loose for initial adjustment but is fixed when in operation. A suitable thumb nut 42 is employed to clamp the gear 34 rigidly to the spindle 35 as required and when so clamped the spindle 35 and gear 34 rotate together and the angular variation is then indicated upon the dial 40 by the fixed pointer 41. The spindle 35 is suitably journaled in a bearing 43 and carries a disc 44 which turns with the spindle 35 about a common axis and transforms its rotary movement into a reciprocatory movement by means of a pin 45 fixed to the disc 44 at a certain radial distance from the center thereof. This pin '45 rides in a slot 46 in the transverse head 47 of an arm 48, which is mounted for sliding movement in a bearing 50 and has a rack 51 formed thereon in mesh with a pinion 52 fixed to the shaft 53. This shaft 53 is journaled for rotation in bearings 54 and has a conical friction member 55 keyed thereon with which a slidable friction wheel 56 is adapted to contact to receive motion therefrom, said wheel 56 being mounted upon a shaft 57 in a manner to permit sliding movement of the wheel 56 relative to the shaft 57 but to prevent relative turning of the two parts.

For the purpose of adjusting and locking 4 the friction wheel 56 in any predetermined position upon the shaft 57 it is provided with a recessed knob 60 in which is seated one end of a rigid arm 61 having a part riding in a slot 62 of a fixed guide 63 and to which the arm 61 may be clamped by a thumb screw 64. The opposite end of the arm 61 terminates in a pointer 65 registering with a fixed scale 66 which is laid off in terms of the speed ratio between the target and the torpedo and in' its fixed position bears a definite relation to the diameter of the friction wheel 56 and the dimensions of the friction cone 55. The shaft 57 is j ournaled in bearings 67 and carries a keyed pinion 70 meshing with a rack 71 upon an arm 72 which is guided in a bearing 73 and terminates in a transverse yoke 74 having a slot 75, within which rides a pin 76 so that a reciprocatory movement of the arm 72 is translated into a rotary movement and rotates a disc 77 to which the pin 76 is fast. The disc 77 is fixed for rotation with a spindle 80 mounted in a bearing 81 and carrying a gear 82 which drives a pinion 83 upon an electric transmitter 84. One face of the gear 82 is provided with a dial 85 moving with the gear 82 relative to a fixed pointer 86 which registers with the dial 85, and the angular movement of the dial 85 with respect to the fixed pointer 86 in the line of the angle H desired.

For the purpose of setting the predirecting means upon the torpedo, a shaft 90 controlling the predirecting mechanism extends outwardly from the torpedo tube 91 and is arranged to be rotated by a repeater 93 fixedly mounted upon a gear 92, the latter being in mesh with a pinion 94 of the repeater 28 and the former in a circuit including a four wire flexible cable 95, a battery 96, switch 97 and the electric transmitter 84. The repeater 93 is rotated by the gear 92 and causes the shaft 90 to rotate at a rate which is the algebraic sum of the rates of rotation of the gear 92 and the shaft 90 with respect to the repeater 93. When the switch 97 is open the shaft 90 can be rotatively adjusted relative to either the gear 92 or repeater 93 and carries a pointer 100 fixed thereon to register with a iixed dial 101 upon the tube 91. The normal or zero position of the pointer 100 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the torpedo tube 91. A second pointer 102 is rigid with the shaft 90 and registers with a dial 103 upon the repeater 93 for the purpose of co-relating the parts in the proper manner.

Similarly the gear 92 is provided with a dial 104 fixed to move therewith relative to a pointer 105 rigidly secured to a fixed part. By the foregoing mechanism it is possible to first transmit the angle G of movement of the sightin unit to the shaft 90 and then the angle ffdetermined from the velocity of the moving bodies whereby the predirect-ing mechanism is set to discharge the torpedo along the course D, which is determined by the sum of the angles G and H.

In the operation of this form of the system, which it is desired to predirect the torpedo 12 in such a manner as to strike the target 11 moving along a known course A at a known rate, the operating parts are assumed to be in normal or zero position as follows. The telescope 20 is positioned with its axis parallel to the longitudinal axis C of the torpedo boat 10 as indicated by the pointer 23 on the zero point of the dial 22. The gear 34 is set in zero position as indicated by the pointer 41 on the dial 40 and the gear 92 is also set in zero position as indicated by the pointer 105 on the dial 104. The switch 33 is now closed to render the circuit, including the transmitter 26 and repeaters 27 and 28, operative. The spindle 35 at this time can be moved relative to the gear 34 because the thumb nut 42 has not been clamped and ac- 1333+ 2.3;) cause; eater cordingly the pointer 38 is brought to zero position on the dial 37 which thereby locates the spindle 35 and the pin 45 is consequently in the position indicated in Fig. 3, that is, vertically above the spindle 35. The gear 82 is adjusted in zero position by bringing the zero point of the dial 85 into register with the fixed pointer 86, whereupon the pin 76 of the disc 77 will be vertically above the spindle 80. The shaft 90 is now set in zero position with respect to the gear 92 by 10- cating the pointer 102 in register with the zero on the dial 103 and the switch 97 is then closed.

Following the positioning of the foregoing parts, the gauge arm 61 is moved into such position that the pointer registers with the mark on the scale 66 whichindicates the known fraction 1L4 (speed of target) T (speed of torpedo) and then the spindle 35 is turned relative to gear 34 in a direction reverse to its normal direction through an angle equal to the angle B, Fig. 1, and the thumb nut 42 is screwed down to clamp the gear 34 to the spindle 35.

In order to automatically determine the direction of the torpedo and set the predirecting mechanism therefor, the telescope 20 is pointed at the target 11 thus swinging through the angle G and sighting along the line F and in consequence the repeater 28 is operated to shift the gear 92 through the same angle and correspondingly move the shaft 90 of the predirection mechanism through the angle G. The repeater 27 is also operated by this movement of the telescope 20 and turns the gear 34 through an angle equal to angle G, and the spindle 35 being rotated oppositely to its settin movement is thus turned through an angle equal to the angle (GB). The rotation of the spindle 35 turns the disc 44 and transmits a linear motion to the arm 48 which moves a to contact with the cone 55 will be rotated through times this angle, and as the angle is proportioned to sin (G-B) the shaft 57 will be turned through an angle proportional to sin (G-B) so that the rod 72 moves a distance proportional to Sill e- B) and its movement is translated into a rotary movement of the spindle by means of the pin 76 and slotted yoke 74.

According to the formula t fsin a B) =sinH and consequently the angular movement of the gear 82, which is carried by the spindle 80, is equal to the angle H, which is the angle necessary to move the predirecting device of the torpedo with respect to the line of sight F of the telescope 20. This angle H must be added to the angle G in order to obtain the total angle through which the predirecting mechanism must be turned with respect to the longitudinal axis C of the torpedo boat. This is accomplished by transmitting the angle H to the shaft by means of the transmitter 84 and the repeater 93 and since the angle G is simultaneously transmitted to the shaft 90 by means of the gear 92 under the action of the transmitter 26 and the repeater 28, it will be evident that the final position of the shaft 90 is the angle G plus the angle H, whereby the predirecting mechanism is set as required by the position and speed of the target relative to the speed of the torpedo.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4, the mechanism for automatically determining by proportion the angle desired is modified and another type illustrated though other operating parts remain the same as for the form shown in Fig. 2 and consequently it is deemed unnecessary to re describe and renumber like parts.

For the purpose of proportioning the angular movement of the parts so as to obtain the angle H, the gear 34 is loosely mounted on a shaft and to which it may be clamped by the thumb nut 42. The pointer 38 is fast to the shaft 110 and registers with the dial 37 on the gear 34 as heretofore explained. The shaft 110 is mounted for rotation in fixed bearings 111 and has a double spiral groove 112.formed therein for the purpose of feeding a follower 113 longitudinally in either direction upon said rod, it being understood that the follower 113 is provided with a member 113' pivotally secured thereto and which is of elongated form and arranged to move in and be guided by the groove of the spiral 112 whereby rotation of the shaft 110 causes the member 113 to be fed in the groove to move the follower as required. The lowermost point of intersection 112' of the two portions of the groove 112 forms an initial or zero position occupied by the member 113'. The elongated construction of the member 113 prevents it from jumping from one spiral groove to the other at points of intersection. It is also preferable to mount the member 113 for rotation so that it readily follows the contour of the groove 112.

To prevent turning of the follower 113 a rod 114 is provided which parallels the shaft 21 is moved through an angle of 15.

110 and passes through a suitable opening in the follower 113. The spiral 112 is designed to move the follower 113 a distance proportional to the sine of the angle through which the telescope 20 has been moved angularly and a multiple of this angular movement is transmitted to the shaft 110 by the gear 34.

The shaft 110 is preferably geared to move at a greater rate than the shaft 21 of the sighting unit and for purposes of illustration it may be assumed that the shaft 110 will make one complete revolution when the shaft This ratio of movement is accomplished by changing the rate in the repeater 27, and it will be obvious in view of the foregoing that a reverse ratio of transmission must be employed from the transmitter 84 to the repeater 93 in order to properly transmit the movement of the shaft 125. In the present instance the element 113 is integral with a pin 115 which is freely rotatable in the follower 113 and projects at one end for the purpose of riding in a slot 116 of an arm 117 pivoted at 1.18 to a slide block 120 adjustably mounted in a slot 121 of a fixed frame 122. The block 120 carries a pointer 123 and may be clamped in any adjusted position by a thumb nut 124. Spaced from and parallel to the shaft 110 is a second shaft 125 provided with a spiral 126 and having a follower 127 mounted thereon adapted to be shifted longitudinally of the shaft 125 by the movement of the arm 117, since the slot 116 of this latter guides a pin 128 fixed to the follower 127 and thus linear movement of the follower 127 causes rotary movement of the shaft 125. Suitable bearings 130 are provided for the shaft 125 and the follower 127 is prevented from turning by a fixed rod 131 engaging the follower 127 in a suitable manner.

A scale 132 graduated in a ratio of M/T is fixed adjacent to the frame 122 and the pointer 123 is adapted to register therewith.

The operation of this form of the invention is as follows: The dial for the gear 34 is first set in a Zero position as heretofore explained and the shaft 110 is set in such a zero position as indicated by the pointer 38 on the dial 37 that the follower 113 will be in its lowest position and the pointer 86 will then indicate a zero position on the dial 85. The telescope 20 is positioned in its zero position with its axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the torpedo boat 10 as indicated by the pointer 23 on the dial 22. The gear 92 and the shaft 90 are set in their respective zero positions as heretofore described and the switches 33 and 97 are then closed. The movable pointer 123 is then located with respect to the scale 132 to indicate the ratio T in which case the distance of the pin 128 from the pivot 124 will be to the distance of the pin 115 from the pivot 124 as M is to T.

The telescope 20 is then pointed at the target and the angular movement thereof transmitted by the repeater 27 to the gear 4 34 which will be moved through an angle proportioned to the angle G. The thumb nut 42 will then be loosened and the shaft 110 rotated in the opposite direction, as indicated by the pointer from the dial 37, through an angle proportional to the angle 13 and the nut 42 clamped. The shaft 110 will, therefore, have been moved through an angle proportional to (GB) and the follower 113 will be moved out a distance proportional to the sin (GB), and since the respective distances of the pins 115 and 128 T target to speed of torpedo) the distance which the follower 127 will be moved will T sin (GB). The

shaft 125 will therefore turn the gear 82 through an angle proportional to the angle H are proportional to the ratio (speed of be proportional to because T sin (GB) is equal to the sin H,

and this angle H will be transmitted to the repeater 93 to rotate the shaft 90 with respect to the gear 92 through the angle H which is thus added to the angle G through which the gear 92 has already been turned by means of the angular movement of the telescope 2O transmitted through the transmitter 26 and the repeater 28. The shaft 90 will therefore be turned through the angle E, or G plus H, which is the desired angle to turn the predirecting mechanism 140 of the torpedo boat 10 to have the torpedo travel along the course D as desired.

The transmitters, repeaters and their adjuncts referred to generally throughout the specification, are of well known construction, being preferably of the Sperry standard type, such as fully described in the patent to Ford, No. 1,293,747, dated February 11, 1919, and it is therefore deeme unnecessary to here specifically explain such construction. The details of a predirecting mechanism, such as indicated at 140 which may be employed with the present invention, are shown in patent to Davison, No. 1,265,753, dated May 14, 1918.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A motion translating device comprising a member adapted to be moved proportional to the angle of a target, a device operated thereby by an amount proportional to the sine of said angle, an element operated by said device and movable by an amount directly proportional to the movement of said device, means for predetermining said proportion and mechanism operating by said element by an amount proportional to the angle liner-e3: ma

tlis

whose sine is represented by the position of said element.

2. A fire control device comprising a member adapted to be moved through an angle representing the angle of a target, a device operated thereby and movable by an amount proportional to the sine of said angle, an element operated by said device and movable proportional thereto, said proportion representing the ratio of the velocity of the target and the velocity of the projectile, and means operable by said element and movable thereby in an amount proportional to the angle whose sine is represented by the position of said element.

3. A fire control device comprising a member adapted to be moved through an angle representing the angle of a target, a device operated thereby and movable by an amount proportional to the sine of said angle, means for independently moving said member an amount proportional to the angle representing the course of said target, an element operated by said device and movable proportional thereto, said proportion representing the ratio of the velocity of the target and the velocity of the projectile, and means operable by said element and movable thereby in an amount proportional to the angle whose sine is represented by the position of said element.

4. A mechanism for solving the equation sine A(G B) the movement of said third element representing the sine of the angle H and means movable in response to said third element for indicating the angle H.

5. A mechanism for calculating the angle G+H from the equation M sine LH= sine AH= sineA(G-B) which comprises a first and a second element adapted to be moved an amount proportional to the angle Gr, means for moving said second element in the reverse direction proportional to the angle B to indicate the angle G-B, a third element, means operated in response to said second element for moving said third element proportional to the sine of the angle (Gr-B), a fourth element movable proportionally to said third element, means for adjusting said proportion to said fourth element indicating the sine of the angle H, a fifth element movable in response to said fourth element to indicate the angle H, and means operable by said fifth element for moving said first element proportional to the angle H whereby said first element indicated the angle Gr-l-H.

6. A device for predetermining the angular line of travel of a torpedo to intercept a target which comprises a pair of rotary members adapted to be turned through an angle proportional to the angular deviation of the line of sight of the target, means for turning one of said members in the reverse direction through an angle proportional to the angular deviation of the line of travel of said target, an element movable laterally in response to movement of said last mentioned rotary member through a distance proportional to the sine of the angle represented by said rotary member, a second element movable proportionally to said first element, means for adjusting said proportion to the ratio of the speed of the target to the speed of the torpedo, the movement of said third element being proportional to the sine of an angle, a third rotary member movable in response to movement of said last mentioned element proportional to said last mentioned angle and means operated by said last mentioned rotary member for moving said first mentioned rotary member proportional to said angle, whereby said first mentioned member will indicate the line of deviation of the projected path of said torpedo.

7. A fire control device comprising a member adapted to be moved through an angle representing the angle of a target, a rotatable cone operated thereby and movable by an amount proportional to the sine of said angle, means for independently moving said mem her an amount proportional to the angle representing the course of the target, a friction wheel engaging said cone and operated thereby, means for adjusting said wheel longitudinally of said cone whereby the proportional movement between the wheel and cone may be varied, said proportion representing the ratio of the velocity of the target and the velocity of the projector and means operable by said friction wheel and movable thereby in an amountproportional attheangle' whosesine is represented by the position of said wheel.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 24th day of June, A. I). 1918.

ALBERT D. TRENOR.

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